It could come as a surprise to some, but it is interesting to note that Pokemon is still running. In fact, it has never stopped running since the time that it started up, which makes it one of the longer-running anime series but still far from being the longest-running anime series out there. Regardless, so long as the Pokemon franchise remains popular, it seems probable that Pokemon will continue to run.
With that said, it is interesting to note that Pokemon has not remained static and unchanging in all respects. For example, the anime has made extensive use of the characters as well as the settings introduced in the main installments, though the correspondence is far from being one for one. This is most noticeable when it comes to the protagonist Ash’s closest companions, who have changed from season to season on a regular basis while he has remained the same.
Both Brock and Misty Will Be Making a Return
People who remember Pokemon when it started up will remember Brock and Misty, who were the first set of Ash’s companions. Both characters were gym leaders in the Generation I games, with Brock being the leader of the Rock-themed gym in Pewter City and Misty being the leader of the Water-themed gym in Cerulean City. However, their anime versions were much more fleshed-out, with examples ranging from how Brock wanted to become a Pokemon Breeder but could not head out to pursue his ambition because he had to take care of the siblings that his father had abandoned to how Misty was a Pokemon trainer who wanted her gym to be treated in a serious manner whereas her older sisters preferred putting on performances.
Brock and Misty set the pattern for the companions who followed them, though said pattern has seen its fair share of changes over time. For example, it has become popular for the female protagonists of the Pokemon games to show up in the anime series as companions, as shown by May, Dawn, and Serena. However, there have been shakeups from time to time, with the latest season featuring Ash in a school along with an important character from the Generation VII games named Lillie as well as four gym leaders from the same games as classmates.
Regardless, it is interesting to note that Brock and Misty will be making a short return to the Pokemon anime series when Ash heads home to the Kanto region for a two-episode visit. This is important news to people who were concerned that they had been eliminated from the tenuous canon of the anime series because of their non-appearance in a movie about Ash’s earlier adventures. However, it is more interesting to note that the spoilers make it clear that both Brock and Misty have been making progress of their own, as shown by their ownership of Mega Rings that enable their Steelix and Gyrados to mega evolve. Of course, this means that interested individuals can expect to see Ash facing his old companions for a match, which should be more than a little bit nostalgic for those who remember the first season.
What Does This Mean?
The return of Brock and Misty to the Pokemon series could signal that there will be more reappearances from other companions in the future. Furthermore, while there is no real reason to believe this, it would be nice to see more interaction between said companions as well as more acknowledgement of what Ash has accomplished so far over the course of his more than two decades’ worth of adventures. After all, while the Pokemon anime series has gone out of its way to keep Ash static and unchanging to a large extent, this is still a protagonist who has saved the world more times than can be recounted without writing paragraphs and paragraphs’ worth of information, meaning that he deserves a bigger measure of respect that what he receives from a significant portion of the Pokemon fandom.
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